Topic Contents

Urinary Incontinence: Keeping a Daily Record

Topic Overview

Keep a daily diary of all liquids taken in and all urine released,
whether voluntary or involuntary. Your health professional may also call this a
voiding log, bladder record, frequency-volume chart, incontinence chart, or
voiding diary. The diary is usually kept for 3 to 4 days.

Record in your diary:

The time and amount of each
urination.

The conditions under which urine release occurred, such
as voluntary urination in the toilet, involuntary urine release, or leakage due
to sneezing, laughing, or physical exertion.

The amounts and types
of all liquids consumed. This includes frozen liquid items such as ice cream
and frozen fruit juice bars.

Whether the liquid consumed contained
caffeine (if your health professional instructs you to specify this
information).

Why It Is Done

A diary is sometimes requested before you see a doctor about
urinary incontinence.

You may be asked to keep a voiding log when:

You experience the involuntary release of
urine.

No cause for the incontinence is discovered in the medical
history and physical exam.

You are not sure of the frequency
and amount of urine leakage.

Results

A diary may identify the cause of your incontinence.

If urine leakage occurs at the same time each
day, several hours after taking a prescription drug, the drug may be having a
diuretic effect.

If urine leakage occurs
only during exercise or after sneezing, laughing, coughing, or similar actions,
this points to stress incontinence.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.